Adoption Records - Maryland State Archives

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Adoption Records
Information on Maryland adoption records is available at the Maryland State Archives. Please note that there are laws limiting access to these records. These laws are intended to safeguard the privacy and rights of all persons involved. For laws related to access to adoption records, please see the Annotated Code of Maryland, Family Law Article, Title 5, Subtitles 4B and 4C.
The Department of Human Resources now helps co-ordinate searches for some adoptive parents, adoptive children, and birth families. Information about this service is best obtained by calling 1-800-39-ADOPT.
Maryland has also created the Mutual Consent Voluntary Adoption Registry which enrolls adoptees and their birth families who wish to find each other. Please contact the Maryland Mutual Consent Voluntary Adoption Registry, 301 West Saratoga Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201 [telephone 410-767-7663] for information.
When a person is adopted in Maryland his/her original birth certificate and index entry are removed from the files of the Division of Vital Records. The certificate is filed with the adoption file and becomes part of a closed record. A new birth certificate is created showing the adoptive parents as the parents of the child.
All adoption files after May 31, 1947 are sealed and can be opened only with a court order or by a State authorized intermediary specifically empowered to examine such records. The Department of Human Resources appoints and co-ordinates these intermediaries (please call 1-800-39-ADOPT) for more information.
Most adoption files before June 1, 1947 are open and available to anyone. Please contact the circuit court which granted the adoption and request the file or case number. The circuit court will determine if they can provide a copy or refer you to us. Please note, however, that some adoption files before June 1, 1947 were sealed at the request of the persons involved. A State appointed intermediary may examine these files.
Please note that there is no state-wide index to adoption records so the Archives is unable to determine the circuit court for you.
Questions regarding Archives' collections and services should be directed to the Reference Services Department at: ref@mdsa.net

The use of any user name and password on our site is for personal and educational purposes only, and constitutes agreement to abide by any and all copyright restrictions. In most instances the user name and password of aaco; aaco# will work. Contact ref@mdsa.net if you have any questions or have difficulty accessing files.

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